Linux Configuration and Installation:Linux and PC Hardware






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CD-ROM
You can use a SCSI-based CD-ROM for Linux, or you can use one of the many CD-ROM/sound board combinations from the likes of Creative Labs. If you use a SCSI CD-ROM with a block size of 512 or 2048 bytes, you’ll be fine as long as Linux recognizes the SCSI card; Linux works directly with the SCSI card and not necessarily directly with the CD-ROM. Pretty much any EIDE (ATAPI) CD-ROM drive should work, and there’s explicit support for the following drives: Aztech CDA268, Orchid CDS-3110, Okano/Wearnes CDD-110, Conrad TXC, GoldStar R420, LMS Philips CM 206, Mitsumi, Optics Storage Dolphin 8000AT, Sanyo H94A, Sony CDU31A/CDU33A, Sony CDU-535/CDU-531, Teac CD-55A SuperQuad, and the variety of drives that fall under the Creative Labs label and are used in Sound Blaster Pro bundles—Matsushita/Panasonic, Creative Labs, Longshine, and Kotobuki.

You’ll need patches to use the following CD-ROM drives: LMS/Philips CM 205/225/202 (ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/kernel/ patches/cdrom/lmscd0.3d.tar.gz), Mitsumi FX001D/F (alternate drivers can be found at ftp://ftp.gwdg.de//pub/linux/cdrom/drivers/mitsumi/mcdx-1.0a.tar.gz), NEC CDR-35D (ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/kernel /patches/cdrom/linux-neccdr35d.patch), and Sony SCSI multisession CD-XA (ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu/pub/linux/patches/sony-multi-0.00.tar.gz).

WARNING:  Again, watch out for “plug-and-play” soundcards—they don’t work well with Linux. If you have an IDE/ATAPI CD-ROM drive connected to a plug-and-play soundcard and Linux doesn’t detect it, try connecting it to the IDE connector on your motherboard (or I/O card) instead. If that doesn’t work, try moving the jumpers on the back. (Remember the original settings just in case.)


WARNING:  We’ve received some complaints about the CD-ROM drives used in Gateway 2000 PCs, and there are have been reports in the trade press about some models that don’t do what’s advertised, whether it be compatibility with another CD-ROM type or the speed. You may want to do some research if you own a Gateway and have some problems with the CD-ROM drive.

Linux supports the ISO-9660 file system, the Rock Ridge Extensions, and the PhotoCD (XA) format.


NOTE:  Not every Sound Blaster features a proprietary interface, as some versions are based on a SCSI architecture. You’ll need to know what specific Sound Blaster board you’re using before you sit down for your Linux installation.


NOTE:  Here’s another selection from the Slackware FAQ regarding Sound Blaster boards:
Q: I see my Sound Blaster/Panasonic CD-ROM detected at boot, but I can’t install from it or mount it. What’s going on?
A: Try setting the drive’s ID to 0. This is expected by the install disks. There should be a jumper on the back of the drive that sets this—just move it to the leftmost position.


Removable Drives
As is the case with all SCSI controllers, any removable drive connected to a working SCSI controller should work, including optical (MO), WORM, floptical, Bernoulli, Zip, SyQuest, and other PD drives.

If you’re using a parallel-port Zip drive, you can grab a patch from ftp://gear.torque.net/pub/ and see if it works.
Linux supports both 512 and 1024 bytes/sector disks.
I/O Controllers
Any standard serial/parallel/joystick/combo card can be used with Linux, including those sporting 8250, 16450, 16550, and 16550A UARTs. Cards that support nonstandard IRQs (such as an IRQ of 9) can be used.

Outward Connectivity
UNIX was written with the express purpose of linking computers. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Linux puts a premium on outward connectivity. This begins at a very basic level with network cards and expands to other telephone-based connectivity tools, such as modems and ISDN cards. This section covers all such devices.




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